Designs on History: The NHA's Fair Street Research Library

(May 15, 2014) Since the Nantucket Historical Association was founded in 1894, the organization has needed a place to store and exhibit artifacts and house its collection of maps, documents and manuscripts to help educate residents and visitors about the history of the island and its people.

A small group of islanders more than a century ago purchased the Quaker Meeting House on Fair Street with those intentions in mind, but after 10 years of collecting material, it was decided that a stronger and sturdier building was needed.

“After 10 years of collecting all of this great material and artifacts, they decided they needed a fireproof building,” said Betsy Tyler, the NHA’s Obed Macy research chair. “They were getting a lot of great documents and they knew how valuable they were.”

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